The present invention relates to a stabilizer mechanism to be attached to a towed vehicle and coupled with the respective towing vehicle so as to control any swaying movement of the towed vehicle.
Several previous mechanisms are known for providing such sway control between a towing and towed vehicle. Representative of such previously known devices are those illustrated by the United States patents to: Bogie, U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,595; Gearhart, U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,949; Rendessy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,874; and, Herbert, U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,919. In several of these devices, a sway control mechanism is provided in the coupling between a towing and towed vehicle, such as in the patents to Bogie and Rendessy. In these mechanisms, a cable is attached to one end of the towing vehicle, the cable then passes back to the towed vehicle and is wrapped around a friction control drum. The same cable then continues back along the frame of the towed vehicle and is again coupled to the towing vehicle at the opposite side of the rear end of the towed vehicle. In controlling the swaying action of the towed vehicle, such devices depend on the friction which is generated within the friction drum around which the cable is wrapped.
Such previously know stabilizer mechanisms which depend upon a friction member for controlling swaying movement, however, are subject to a significant amount of wear and hence have a relatively short life span. Consequently, these friction control members have to be replaced relatively often; otherwise, they totally lose their effectiveness.
Other types of mechanisms are also known for guiding the movement of a towed vehicle. One such mechanism is illustrated by the patent to Barchus, No. 3,883,151. In this patent, a shock absorber mechanism is attached along the front axle of the towed vehicle for controlling the vehicle camber and toe-in so as to facilitate vehicle guidance regardless of the direction of movement of the towed vehicle. Such an arrangement, however, is neither utilized nor would serve the function of controlling swaying movement of the towed vehicle.
One of the primary reasons for providing such sway control mechanisms is to prevent a fishtailing effect from occurring upon the transmission of sudden forces to the towed vehicle. Consequently, all such stabilizers or sway control mechanisms help to absorb the forces which are applied to the towed vehicle so as to substantially eliminate any fishtailing effects.